The Nineteen Nineties
1992-93
Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love opened the season with sand in, 
around, and throughout the Experimental. A totally MFA production, it was directed by Jeffrey Richman, designed by Alain Galet, and featured Howard Bickle, Annie Piper, Brian Goranson, and Lou Markert. As You Like It directed by Greg Smucker and designed by Joe Stanley followed in the Thrust. [Greg and Joe joined Julia Fischer and the three MFA graduates formed the very successful 15 Head theatre company here in the Twin Cities.] The workshop season began with Roosters, directed by Nic Carter. Joanne Trakinat joined us as the Costume Shop Supervisor. Stephen Kanee assumed the mantle of Artistic Director for University Theatre. And Nancy Houfek and Nels Hennum joined the acting/directing faculty in the area of voice and movement/combat respectively.
A Wes Balk version of King Lear with a cast of six MFA actors plus Wes himself performed in the Arena to lead off winter. This was to be the final directing assignment for Professor Balk with the University Theatre. The zany and wonderful farce Noises Off directed by guest D. Scott Glasser played the Proscenium. The Bourgeois Gentleman directed by David Ruebhausen played the workshop season in the Experimental.
URepCo’s season was dedicated to Gertrude Lawton Lippincott on the occasion of her soon-to-be 80th year. Byron Richard directed and Martin Gwinup did the lighting. Featured on the program were “Changing Steps” (Merce Cunningham), “Slow Falling Angels”-premiere (Dan Wagoner), “To Have and To Hold” (Shapiro and Smith), “League” (Byron Richard), “Jhala”-premiere (Marge Maddux), and “Marble Halls” (Mark Morris). Two very dark plays, Restoration and the surrealistic The Trap especially, dealt extreme themes of injustice and cruelty. Directed by Stephen Kanee in the
Arena, Restoration utilized a highly glossed black floor with a huge silver chain extending into the grid, designed by Stephen Setterlun as part of his MFA degree. Anita Ruth provided original music. The Trap (a biographical account loosely based on the life of Franz Kafka) was directed by Gülgün Kayim. A Moon for the Misbegotten was the workshop production, staged by PhD Brett Johnson and designed by Tony D’Acquisto for his MFA.
In May we also presented “American Portraits” as part of the University of Minnesota/McKnight Performing Arts Festival. “New Destinies” created by Marge Maddux to the music of Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” was performed and Stephen Kanee directed an all-star cast in Edgar Lee Master’s Spoon River Anthology. Appearing were Jon Cranney, Shirley Venard, Warren Bowles, Lee Adey, Nels Hennum, Nancy Houfek, Wendy Lehr, and Barbara Reid.
A well-received Showboat production of The Mousetrap was directed by Charles Nolte with olios by Robert Moulton. Courtney Peterson and David Ivers played Molly and Giles. This production holds the distinction of being the last show performed on the General John Newton. The boat would go into dry dock at the end of the summer while we attempted to raise the necessary funds for repair and renovation.
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